Equalizer for wire-fence machines.



PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

S. S. WITHINGTON. EQUALIZEB. FOR WIRE FENCE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1906.

TINTTEE STATES PATENT OEEIGEQ SHERMAN S. WITHINGTOV, OF ADRIAN,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO JACK- SON FENOE COMPANY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ACORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed May 21,1906. Serial No. 318,035.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SHERMAN S. IIVITHING- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lena-wee and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inEqualizers for I/Vire-Fence Machines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and ex act description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in equalizers for wire fencemachines; and its object is to provide a device that will equalize thefeed of the various longitudinal wires of a wire fence so that the samewill be of equal length and equal tension throughout; and it consistsessentially of a series of grooved wheels fixed on a shaft to rotate simultaneously, automatic grippers on the wheels to prevent the wire fromslipping, means for releasing the grippers to permit the wire to engageand disengage the wheel, and in various details of construction andarrangement all as hereinafter more fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims, reference being had to the aco1npanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1. is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention; Fig.2. an enlarged end elevation of the same; Fig. the same as in Fig. 2.shown in side elevation; Fig. 4. the reverse view of Fig. 2.; and Fig.5. a vertical section of the same Like numbers refer to like parts inall of the figures.

1 represents a shaft on which are fixed a series of grooved wheels 2spaced apart to correspond to the spacing of the longitudinal wires of afence; 3 are gripping plates inserted at intervals in the rim of thewheel adja cent to one side of the groove. Opposite to each plate is arecess in which is an opposing gripping member consisting of a radiallydisposed arm 4 pivoted to the wheel at its inner end and movable at itsouter end opposite the plate 3. Spanning the recess and engaging theouter end of the arm 4 is a bridge bar 10 having an inner surfaceinclined to the plane of the plate 8, whereby the end of the arm 4 iscrowded against and grips the wire 8 between the arm and the plate.

To move the arm 4 to grip the wire, a contractile spring 11, isconnected to the arm at one end and to the wheel 2 at the other end, andmoves the arm along the bridge bar 10 and into engagement with the Wireand thus securely grips the wire between the end of the arm and theplate 3 and prevents it from slipping in the groove of the wheel.

To release the wire wnere it enters and leaves the groove, a bell cranklever 5 is pivoted to the bridge bar 10 opposite the arm 4, one memberof which lever engages a pin 6 in the arm, and the other member extendsoutward beyond the periphery of the wheel and at each revolution of thewheel engages the concave side of a segment 7 arranged near the rim ofthe wheel and supported by a bar 9 to which. it is secured. In operationthere being a number of these grippers on each wheel, four being shown,three of the same would at all times be engaged with the wire and thussecurely prevent the wire from slipping in the groove of the wheel. Eachwheel being of the same circumference, and the wheels being all fixed onthe same shaft which is mounted to rotate freely in any convenientbearings, it is obvious that each wire must move at precisely the samerate regardless of any variation of tension thereon, the result being auniform length to the longitudinal wires of the fence and uniformtension on the same when the fence is in place for use.

What I claim is:

1. An equalizer for wire fence machines, comprising a rotary shaft, aseries of wheels of equal circumference fixed on said shaft, a series ofgrippers mounted on each wheel and each comprising a fixed member and amovable member consisting of a radially disposed arm pivoted at itsinner end and movable circuniferentially of the wheel at its outer end,bars having surfaces inclined to the iixed member and traversed by saidarms, a lever connected to each arm. to move the same, and a fixedobstruction to successively engage the levers at each revolution of thewheels.

2. In an equalizer for wire fence machines, a rotative shaft, a seriesof wheels of equal circumference fixed on said shaft and having recessesin the side of the rim, bridge bars spanning the recesses and havinginclined surfaces, grippers movable in the recesses and traversing theinclined surfaces of the bridge bars, springs to move the grippers inone direction, levers to move the grippers in the opposite direction,and fixed segments to engage the levers.

3. In an equalizer for Wire fence machines, a rotative shaft, a seriesof grooved wheels fixed on the shaft, each wheel having a series of siderecesses in its rim, bridge bars spanning the recesses and havinginclined surfaces opposite the same, radially disposed and pivoted armsin the recesses, springs attached to the arms to move the same in onedirection, bell crank levers connected to the arms to move the same inthe other direction, and fixed segments to engage the levers.

4. In an equalizer for Wire fence machines, a rotative shaft, a seriesof grooved wheels fixed on the said shaft, each wheel having a series ofside recesses in its rim, bridge bars spanning the recesses and havinginclined surfaces opposite the same, gripper plates opposite the bridgebars, radially disposed pivoted arms movable in the recesses, a springengaging each arm to move the same in one direction, a lever to moveeach arm in the other direction, and fixed segments to successivelyengage the levers on each wheel.

5. An equalizer for wire fence machines, consisting of a rotative shaft,a series of grooved wheels fixed on said shaft, each wheel havlng siderecesses in its rim, bridge bars spanning the recesses and havinginclined surfaces opposite the same, gri per plates opposite the bridgebars, radia ly disposed arms pivoted to the wheel and movable in therecesses, springs attached to the arms at one end and to the Wheel atthe other end, bell crank levers pivoted on the bridge bars, eachleverhaving one member connected to an arm and the other member projectingoutward, and fixed segments to successively engage the levers on therespective wheels.

In testimony whereof I a'lfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SHERMAN S. WITHINGTON. Witnesses:

A.-C. MILLS, CHAS. HUMPHREY.

